ACTORS History

The Ames Community Theater was officially started in October 1956 as members of the Ames Playground Radio Theater and Touring Players asked the simple question: Why didn’t Ames have a community theater? Previous interest in forming a group had high hopes but never became a reality. That is until that October in 1956, when everything just kind of came together.

The first meeting was held at the Sheldon Munn on Main Street and Jim Okey was elected the first president. The first production of Charley’s Aunt was performed on December 14th and 15th at Edwards School.

ACTORS is currently celebrating its 62th season of productions, and has a permanent facility that houses its scene shop, costume room, prop storage, board meetings and more. It has become a leader in the arts in the community, and helped give birth to several other organizations in and around the Ames area.

ACTORS is pleased to announce that we received a grant from the Story County Community Foundation for $6,000. The purpose of the grant is to help us replace the stage lights that hang in front of the stage with LED fixtures. The lights that are getting replaced were purchased over 40 years ago. The LED lights will be cheaper to operate, produce less heat, and be more dependable. Watch for the new lights in the near future!!! Thank you to the Story County Community Foundation!

ACTORS is supported in part through local option tax funds provided by the City of Ames through the Commission on the Arts and grants from the Story County Community Foundation.